Some recent wines

D’Arenberg The Hermit Crab Viognier Marsanne

Yum! I really liked this D’Arenberg Viognier Marsanne. Belinda had her reservations and was less enthusiastic than I about it, but I found this to be a very well balanced wine. There was enough acid to counter the huge fruit and floral flavour, and minerality further contributed to the complexity.  At around $15, there’s much to recommend here.

Segura Viudas Aria Brut Nature NV

Good value (around $15) bubbles from Segura Viudas. Not particularly complex in the flavour profile, but this dry, moussey sparkling wine is a refreshing change to most of the equivalently priced bubbles you’ll find in the bottle-o. There’s a distinct apple tart scent to the nose, and apples and pastry are found in the flavour. This isn’t a sweet fizzy, though. Unfortunately slightly hollow in mid-palate, but thankfully dry  and extremely drinkable.

Glaetzer-Dixon Family Winemakers Überblanc Riesling

Caught a glass of this Tasmanian riesling at Joe’s Shoe Shop on High Street Northcote. On the first occasion I was knocked out by its crisp lemon/lime zinginess. In fact, this is the most citrus-focussed tasting wine I’ve ever encountered. Unfortunately, I didn’t remember the name of the wine, so I went back a couple of week later to reacquaint myself with it, and this time note down the name. My second tasting found the wine lacking some body: it has strong acid and sourness, but is perhaps a little thin — the paleness of its colour and low alcohol (10.9%) add to the chance for this wine to be tagged lemon water. But that said, I highly recommend this wine.